Surfacing units



United States Patent U.S. C]. 9445 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A surfacing unit for concrete finishing machine embodying an elongated surfacing member, the longitudinal vertical tilt of which can be adjusted by operation of a single handwheel on one end thereof.

Background of the invention It is a primary object of the present invention to afford a novel surfacing unit for use in concrete finishing machines, and the like.

Another object is to enable the position of such a surfacing unit to be adjusted in a novel and expeditious manner,

In the use of concrete finishing machines, such as, for example, in machines of the general type shown in my copending application for United States Letters Patent, Ser. No. 578,284, filed Sept. 9, 1966, wherein an elongated surfacing unit, such as a bull-float member or a strikeoff member, or the like, is moved transversely to its length across concrete being spread, the surfacing unit is normally moved forwardly, in an end-wise direction, off from concrete which has been spread onto a new supply of unspread concrete between transverse strokes thereof. Under such conditons, the unspread concrete engaged by the surfacing unit, and which is being spread during each transverse stroke of the unit, tends to spread along the leading longitudinal edge of the surfacing member of the unit and to flow off the trailing or rear end thereof. If the concrete being spread is permitted to thus flow off from the rear end of the surfacing member, it, of course, will flow onto a previously finished concrete surface and be left thereon in the form of undesirable ridges, or the like. In order to prevent this, it is common in the trade to raise the trailing or rear end of the elongated surfacing member of such units slightly above the level of the forward or leading end thereof so that as the concrete flows rearwardly along the surfacing member it will flow thereunder and be spread and compacted thereby rather than flow around the rear end thereof.

Heretofore, the vertical adjustment of the rear end of an elongated surfacing member of the aforementioned type on such concrete finishing machines has commonly been effected by tilting the entire machine. Such a method has several inherent disadvantages, such as, for example, being relatively cumbersome; and being relatively difficult to perform with accuracy, and the like.

It is an important object of the present invention to overcome such disadvantages.

Some concrete finishing machines heretofore known in the art have embodied internal mechanisms which are capable of adjusting the longitudinal tilt of an elongated surfacing member embodied therein. However, such mechanisms for this purpose heretofore known in the art have had several inherent disadvantages, such as, for example, being slow and tedious in operation; being difficult to operate; being inaccurate in operation; not affording a firm support for the elongated surfacing unit; being complicated in construction; or being expensive to manufacture and to embody in such a machine, and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to overcome such disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel surfacing unit embodying an elongated surfacing member which is supported in a novel and expeditious manner.

Yet another object is to afford a novel surfacing unit of the aforementioned type wherein the position of the elongated surfacing member may be adjusted in a novel and expeditious manner.

A further object is to afford a novel surfacing unit for concrete finishing machines, and the like, wherein the surfacing member thereof is effectively and firmly supported in a novel and expeditious manner.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel surfacing unit for concrete finishing machines, which is practical and efiicient in operation and which may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims Description of the drawings In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a surfacing unit embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the surfacing unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the surfacing unit shown in FIG. 1, looking to the left as viewed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the surfacing unit shown in FIG. 1, looking to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 in FIG. 1.

Description of the embodiment shown herein A surfacing unit 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

The surfacing unit 1 comprises a unit which is particularly well adapted to be embodied in a suitable concrete finishing machine, or the like, such as, for example, a concrete finishing machine of the type shown in my aforementioned copending application for United States Letters Patent, Ser. No. 578,284. The surfacing unit 1 embodies, in general, an elongated surfacing member, in the form of a bull-float or strike-off member 2, supported from a hanger 3, in depending relation thereto, the hanger 3 being adapted to be connected to suitable trusswork, or the like, not shown, in a suitable machine such as the aforementioned machine shown in my aforementioned application, Ser, No. 578,284, in a concrete finishing operation.

The surfacing member 2 shown in the drawings comprises an elongated, hollow member made of suitable material, such as, for example, sheet steel, or the like, and embodies an elongated top wall 4 and an elongated bottom wall 5 disposed in substantially parallel relation to each other, two side walls 6 and 7 extending between 3 respective longitudinal edges of the walls 4 and 5 in substantially parallel relation to each other, and two end walls 8 and 9 closing the ends of the surfacing member 2. The end walls 8 and 9 preferably taper upwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall 5 to the top wall 4, as shown in FIG. 1.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the hollow, pan-type surfacing member 2 is shown herein merely by way of illustration, and not by way of limitations, and other forms of surfacing members, such as, for example, solid surfacing members constructed from wood, or from a solid piece of suitable material, such as, for example, steel, may be substituted for the surfacing member 2 shown in the drawings without departing from the purview of the present invention.

The hanger 3 includes an elongated, substantially rectangular shape supporting frame 10, FIGS. 1-4, embodying two elongated side rails 11 and 12 disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to each other, and two elongated end rails 13 and 14 extending between respective opposite ends of the side rails 11 and 12 in substantially parallel spaced relation to each other. The rails 11-14 may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example square steel tubing, and the end rails 13 and 14 are disposed on the upper faces of the respective ends of the side rails 11 and 12 and may be secured thereto by any suitable means such as welding.

Two transverse cross braces 15 and 16 are disposed on top of and extend between the side rails 11 and 12 in spaced parallel relation to each other and to the end rails 13 and 14, FIGS. 1 and 2. The cross braces 15 and 16 may be secured to the side rails 11 and 12 by any suitable means such as welding, and four upstanding arms 17, 18, 19 and 20 are attached to and project upwardly from respective ends of the cross braces 15 and 16, FIGS. l4. Two additional cross braces 21 and 22 extend between the upper end portions of the arms 17 and 19 and the arms 18 and 20, respectively, FIG. 2.

The arms 17-20 are identical to each other in construction, each embodying an upwardly and outwardly sloping lower end portion 23 and a substantially vertically disposed upper end portion 24, with an outwardly projecting bearing or trunnion 25 mounted on and projecting horizontally outwardly from the upper end of the upper end portion 24, FIGS. 3 and 4. The arms 17 and 18 are disposed in uniplanar relation to each other and the arms 19 and 20 are similarly disposed in uniplanar relation to each other so that the bearings 25 afford supporting members which project laterally outwardly from each side of the supporting frame 10 for supporting the hanger 3 from any suitable supporting unit, not shown, such as the aforementioned trusswork of concrete finishing machines such as that shown in my aforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 578,284.

Two connecting units 26 and 27 are disposed at respective opposite ends of the supporting frame 10 for supporting the surfacing member 2 therefrom, FIG. 1.

The connecting unit 26, FIGS. 4 and 5, embodies an elongated bar 28, which is preferably square in transverse cross section. The bar 28 may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, steel, and Preferably is of such length and width that it may be disposed between the side rails 11 and 12 of the supporting frame 10, directly below the end rail 13, with a relatively snug but freely rotatable fit. The bar 28 is rotatably mounted between the side rails 11 and 12 of the supporting frame 10 by suitable pins or bolts 29 and 30 extending through the side rails 11 and 12, respectively, into the respective adjacent ends of the bar 28, FIG. 5.

The connecting unit 26 also includes two studs or bolts 31 and 32 having heads 33 and 34 thereon, respectively. The bolts 31 and 32 extend downwardly through the bar 28, with the heads 33 and 34 resting on top thereof, the lower ends of the bolts 31 and 32 being threaded into the top wall 4 of the surfacing member 2, FIG. 5. Two nuts 35 and 36 are mounted on the bolt 31, and similarly, two nuts 37 and 3-8 are mounted on the bolt 32. When the hanger 2, the connecting unit 26 and the surfacing member 2 are disposed in normal operative position relative to each other, the nuts 35 and 37 are preferably disposed on the bolts 31 and 32, respectively, in such position as to effectively clamp the bar 28 against the heads 33 and 34; and the nuts 36 and 38 are preferably so disposed on the bolts 31 and 32, respectively, in such position as to firmly engage the upper face of the top wall 4 of the surfacing member 2 and thereby hold the bolts 31 and 32 in stationary position relative to the surfacing member 2.

With the left end of the surfacing member 2, as viewed in FIG. 1, attached to the hanger 3 by the connecting unit 26 in the aforementioned manner, the surfacing member 2 may be rotated around the pins or bolts 29 and 30, the bar 28 rotating around its longitudinal axis between the side rails 11 and 12 of the supporting frame 10 during such movement of the surfacing member 2.

The connecting unit 27, like the connecting unit 26, includes an elongated bar 39 and two studs 0r bolts 40 and 41. The bar 39 preferably is of the same size and configuration as the bar 28, and is disposed directly below the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10. The bolts 40 and 41 extend transversely through respective ends of the bar 39, FIG. 6. Two nuts 42 and 43 are mounted on the bolt 40. Likewise, two nuts 44 and 45 are mounted on the bolt 41. When the bar 39 and the bolts 40 and 41 are disposed in assembled relation to each other the nuts 42 and 43 are preferably so disposed on the bolt 40 as to firmly clamp the bar 39 therebetween, and the nuts 44 and 45 are so dispose-d on the bolt 41 as to firmly clamp the bar 39 therebetween.

The lower ends of the bolts 40 and 41 are threaded into and extend through the top wall 4 of the surfacing member 2, and two nuts 47 and 48 are mounted on the bolts 40 and 41 below the nuts 43 and 45, respectively. When the bolts 40 and 41 are disposed in normal assembled relation to the surfacing member 2, the nuts 47 and 48 are preferably so disposed on the bolts 40 and 41, respectively, as to firmly engage the upper face of the top wall 4 of the surfacing member 2 and thereby hold the bolts 40 and 41 in stationary position relative to the surfacing member 2.

The upper end portions of the bolts 40' and 41 in the assembled surfacing unit I extend upwardly through openings 49 and 50, respectively, formed in the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10, FIG. 6. The bolts 40 and 41 extend through the openings 49 and 50 with a relative loose fit so as to permit transverse movement of the bolts 40 and 41 therein for a purpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently. Two nuts 51 and 52 are mounted on the upper ends of the bolts 40 and 41, respectively, and preferably rest on the upper face of the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10 to support the bolts 40 and 41, the bar 39 and the right end of the surfacing member 2, as viewed in FIG. 1, therefrom.

A feed screw 53 extends through and is journaled in openings 54 and 55 formed in the end rail 14 and the bar 39, respectively, midway between the bolts 40 and 41. Two collars 56 and 57 are mounted on the feed screw 53 above and below the bar 39, respectively, and are normally disposed in position on the feed screw 53 effective to hold the bar 39 therebetween. Two set screws 58 and 59 are mounted in the collars 56 and 57 to hold the collars 56 and 57 in adjusted position on the feed screw 53.

A nut 60 is mounted on the upper face of the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10 and is stationarily attached thereto by any suitable means, such as, for example, welding. The feed screw 53 extends downwardly through the nut 60 and is threadedly engaged therewith so that rotation of the feed screw 53 relative to the supporting frame is effective to cause the feed screw 53 to move upwardly or downwardly relative thereto. A handwheel 61 is mounted on the upper end of the feed screw 53 so that the latter may be manually turned in the nut 60.

Operation In the operation of the surfacing unit 1, with the left end of the surfacing member 2, as viewed in FIG. 1, supported from the hanger 3 by the connecting unit 26, as shown in FIG. 5, the correct height of the right end of the surfacing member 2,'as viewed in FIG. 1, may be roughly or approximately adjusted by adjusting the position of the bar 39 and the surfacing member 2 relative to the bolts 40 and 41 and the feed screw 53. After this initial adjustment, the bolts 42-45 may be moved into firm abutting engagement with the bar 39; the bolts 47 and 48 may be moved into firm abutting engagement with the upper face of the top wall 4 of the surfacing member; and the collars 56 and 57 may be moved into engagement with the bar 38 and the set screws 58 and 59 may then be firmly engaged with the feed screw '53. Preferably, during this initial adjustment of the right end of the surfacing member 2, the nuts '51 and 52 are so disposed on the bolts 40 and 41, respectively, that they are disposed in upwardly spaced relation to the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10.

After the aforementioned initial adjustment of the right end of the surfacing member 2, the final adjustment on the surfacing member 2 may be accurately made by rotating the handwheel 61 in the proper direction to raise or lower the feed screw 53 through the nut '60 into the. position effective to support the right end of the supporting member 2 in the desired position. Thereafter, preferably, the nuts 51 and 52 may be lowered on the bolts 40 and 41 into abutting engagement with the upper face of the end rail 14 on the supporting frame 10 to thereby assist the feed screw 53 in supporting the surfacing member 2 from the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10.

Subsequently, if it is desired to vary the height of the right end of the surfacing member 2, this may be readily accomplished. If it is desired to raise the right end of the surfacing member 2, this may be accomplished by merely turning the handwheel 61 in the proper direction to cause the feed screw 53 to move upwardly in the nut 60, the bolts 40 and 41 moving upwardly through the openings 49 and 50. If, on the other hand, it is desired to lower the right end of the surface member 2, the operator may first back off the nuts 51 and 52 on the bolts 40 and 41 from their engagement with the upper face of the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10 and the handwheel 61 may then be rotated in the proper direction to lower the feed screw 53 through the nut '60. Under the last mentioned circumstances, after the adjustment of the position of the supporting member 2 has been completed, the nuts 51 and 52 are preferably again moved downwardly on the bolts 40 and 41 into abutting engagement with the upper face of the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10.

The openings 49 and 50 through the end rail 14 of the supporting frame 10 are sufiiciently larger than the outside diameter of the bolts 40 and 41, respectively, so that the upward and downward swinging movement of the right end of the surfacing member 2 as viewed in FIG. 1, necessary to effect the aforementioned vertical adjustment of the position thereof, may be accomplished without causing the bolts 40 and 41 to bind in the end rail 14. 'Likewise, the fit of the feed screw 53 in the opening 55 in the bar 39, and the engagement of the collars 56 and 57 with the bar 39, are sufficiently loose that the surfacing member 2 may so swing upwardly and downwardly without causing the feed screw 53 to bind.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel surfacing unit wherein the height of one end of an elongated surfacing member embodied therein may be accurately, and quickly and easily adjusted by the rotation of a single handwheel,

Also, it will be seen that the present: invention affords a novel surfacing unit wherein the aforementioned one end of such a surfacing member is supported in operable position in a novel and expeditious manner.

In addition, it will be seen that such support of the surfacing member is effected in such a manner as to afford a firm, practical support therefor.

Further, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel surfacing unit which is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readily and ecomically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An elongated surfacing unit for use in concretefinishing, said unit being adapted to be supported longitudinally of a roadway for transverse movement, and comprising (a) a supporting frame,

(b) an elongated surfacing member,

(c) means pivotally mounting one end of said member on said frame for movement relative thereto, and

((1) further means supporting the other end of said member from said frame for vertical adjustment about said pivotally mounting means.

2. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said further means comprises bolt means (1) adjustably connected to said frame and (2) operatively connected to said other end in supporting relation thereto.

3. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said further means comprises (1) a feed screw '(a') operatively connected to said other end and (b') adjustably, threadedly connected to said frame for moving said other end vertically relative to said frame, and (2) a handwheel on said feed screw for turning the latter.

4. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said further means comprises (1) two upstanding bolts having (a) their lower end portions operatively connected to said other end, and (b') their upper end portions extending through a portion of said frame, and (2) nuts threaded on said two bolts and resting on said frame so as to restrain said bolts and said other end against downward movement relative to said frame and permit upward movement of said bolts and said other end relative to said frame, and (3) a feed screw operatively connected to said other end and to said frame for moving said other end upwardly relative to said frame.

5. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 4, and V (a) in which said feed screw is mounted between said two bolts, and

7 (b) which includes a handwheel mounted on said feed screw for rotating the latter. 6. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said frame includes two elongated end members extending transversely across respective ends of said surfacing member in upwardly spaced relation theret0, (b) said further means comprises (1) an elongated bar pivotally connected to said frame in substantially parallel relation to said end member for rotation around the longitudinal axis of said bar, and (2) bolts operatively connected to said bar and to said one end of said surfacing member for adably supporting said one end for movement toward and away from said bar, and (c) said further means comprises (1) another elongated bar disposed above said other end of said surfacing member in substantially parallel relation to said end members, (2) two bolts (a) operatively connecting said other bar to the one of said end members disposed above said other end in depending relation thereto, and (b) operatively connecting said other end to said other 'bar in depending relation thereto, and (3) a feed screw operatively connected to said other bar and threadedly connected to said one end members for moving said other bar and said two bolts vertically relative to said one end member and thereby move said other end around said longitudinal axis of said one bar in a vertical direction and thereby tilt said surfacing member longitudinally relative to said frame. 7. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 6, and in which (a) said further means includes nuts mounted on said two bolts,

8 (b) said nuts have (1) one position on said two bolts effective (a) to hold said other end and said other bar stationary relative thereto, and (b) to hold said two bolts, and, thereby, said other end and said other bar against downward movement relative to said one end member, and (2) another position on said two bolts eifective to free said other end, said other bar and said one end member, for movement relative to said two bolts upon rotation of the latter. 8. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 7, and in which (a) said feed screw is so connected to said one end member and said other bar as to be effective to move said other bar, said two bolts and said other end, both upwardly and downwardly relative to said one end member when said nuts are disposed in said other position. 9. A surfacing unit as defined in claim 8, and in which (a) said feed screw (1) is effective, upon rotation in one direction, to move said other bar, said two bolts and said other end, upwardly relative to said one end member when said nuts are disposed in said one position, and (2) is ineffective, upon rotation in any direction, to move said other bar, said two bolts and said other end, downwardly relative to said one end member when said nuts are disposed in said one position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,780,427 11/1930 Kirkham 9445 1,923,632 8/1933 MacRae 94-45 JACOB L. NACKNOFF, Primary Examiner. 

